


I'll Cover you

by Fanatic_weirdo



Series: Lightwood-Bane Family [10]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Before max and rafe, Hurt Alec, Hurt Magnus Bane, Hurt/Comfort, I'm bad at tagging., It's Not Good, M/M, No sex., Panic Attacks, alec has panic attack, alec's arm gets burned, but they love each other - Freeform, just kisses, they're in edom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2019-03-09 19:27:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13488225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fanatic_weirdo/pseuds/Fanatic_weirdo
Summary: Alec goes to Edom to get Magnus after 2 months. Alec makes a deal with the devil but at least he has Magnus. Still Alec is just as messed up as Magnus is. Maybe they can heal together. Sorry terrible summary. Please read. I'm proud of this one.Also I put this under my Lightwood-Bane family series even though the kids are not in it because this is going to be a vital part of stuff that happens to everyone in the future.





	I'll Cover you

**Author's Note:**

> A lot of you guys agreed you wanted this one shot after reading Without Flinching! I hope this doesn't disappoint!

Not Alec, Magnus silently pleaded, why did they always have to take the form of Alec. No, that’s a dumb question. He knew exactly why: because it broke him. 

Every time. 

He’d been in his father’s kingdom for two months and still his hopes rose and his heart sped up at the sight of those hazel eyes and beautiful smile. But then Alec’s voice would call him weak. And pathetic. And ask him why he ever believed Alec would risk his own safety and life to save Magnus who wasn’t worth saving. And Magnus would break all over again. Over and over he fell for it, and over and over again it shattered him. They were just doing it for sport now, breaking him like a toy just to see what was on the inside.

It was odd, though. This time Demon Alec wasn’t smiling. Their mistake; Magnus wouldn’t fall for it now. The hazel eyes were filled with fear, pain, desperation, and heartache. Were they hoping Magnus would feel sympathy for this version of him, that he’d rush to his side to help him? Demon Alec was thinner, drastically thinner. Usually, the demons made him look the same as he’d looked when Magnus last saw him. This Alec’s muscle tone was down, too, which was another mistake. How dare they treat Alec as if he would do this to himself for Magnus? His Alexander wasn’t so easily ruined. Magnus had seen Alec lose his brother, his parabatai and barely falter, so he would never believe Alec would have such a look for him. 

“Magnus?” 

They were getting better at his voice, he’d give them that. The way he said the ‘Mag’ part slower than the ‘nus’ part. The word was a question, a frantic tone attached, like it needed to be true. 

“Back again, I see,” Magnus growled. ‘Alec’ looked taken aback, hurt by his shortness, by his attempt to protect himself from the hell that was hoping against hope that his lover had come to rescue him. “Will it ever be enough? Will I ever be low enough for you? Was begging on my knees not enough for you? What do you want of me? To be fully destroyed? Well, mission accomplished,” Magnus hissed. 

‘Alec’ shook his head, rushing forward, but Magnus held his hands up, the magic flying around them red, angry, and threatening. 

“Magnus…” 

This time the voice was gentle, like it was talking to a wounded animal. Magnus looked into those eyes and they were shining with tears.

“NO,” he yelled as ‘Alec’ took a step forward, his hands up in surrender. Magnus whimpered when the demon didn’t stop coming at him. “Please, you-you know I can’t,” he whined. He had yet to be able to use his magic against the ‘Alec’s. He was terrified that he would be wrong, and would hurt the real Alec. He couldn’t bear that.

“I know you can’t. Want to know why?” 

The tone wasn’t hateful like he’d expected, and it knocked him even more off balance. They weren’t doing anything he was expecting making him more afraid than ever. Magnus let out a sob; his magic still ready to protect him even though he knew it was pointless. 

“Your magic knows me, like I know it. I know when it’s scared. Like now. Because when you’re truly angry it engulfs your entire body, not just your hands. You’re using it aggressively, offensively because you think I’m here to trick you. I’m not. I’m your Alexander. You call me ‘Darling’, and your ‘Angel,’ which I always found ridiculous. I’m no angel,” ‘Alec’ claimed and, slowly, Magnus’s magic started to fade. “I can see the light fading from your eyes, those beautiful eyes, and I need it to stop. I need you to come back to me, Mag.” 

He was a couple feet away from Magnus whose hands were still out, his magic sparking but not dangerous. Alec reached out and grabbed his hands. The magic inflamed, but instantly vanished. Magnus’s eyes flew open. It knew; it knew the truth. 

Alexander.

Magnus let out a moan of grief and collapsed forward. Arms were there, beautiful strong arms were holding up.

“Magnus,” Alec, his Alec, sobbed, as they buried their faces in each other’s neck. They were both clearly worn down, both much thinner, though Magnus was much more severe because at least Alec had Jace and Izzy to force him to eat. “I’m sorry,” Alec cried, “I’m so sorry. I took too long. I tried, but I couldn’t find it, I couldn’t—,” Alec wept.

“But you came,” Magnus blubbered, “You came for me.” 

Alec nodded desperately, their arms clinging to each other, trying to grasp each other tighter, trying to crawl inside each other. 

“Of course I did. I didn’t stop looking for a single day. I couldn’t leave you here. I would never abandon you,” Alec promised, pulling away only enough to kiss Magnus’s lips. Magnus moaned into the kiss, sobbing harder at the feeling he never thought he’d ever get again. They separated their lips only to hold each other tightly again. 

“Alexander,” Magnus breathed in Alec’s neck. “Alexander, my beautiful Alexander.” The name on his tongue was better than water on his parched throat, better than a medium rare steak when he was starving. Better than anything. There was a hiss to their side and Alec growled furiously, separating from their hug and turning to see one of the demons he knew must have hurt Magnus. Magnus didn’t even see the sword until the demon faded to ash. 

“We’re getting out of here,” Alec said firmly. Magnus blinked slowly before nodding, praying to whoever was listening that this wasn’t another one of his father’s traps. Alec linked their fingers and Magnus felt his knees give out for a moment before he caught himself and squeezed his fingers in response. 

The kingdom of Edom was a hot, dark, dry place, basically, a basic image any mundane would have of a hell. But there was something even darker and more damning about it than even a mundane could imagine. There were no screaming souls, no fire burning in random places, and yet, it was, without a doubt, the most hopeless place Alec had ever been and he’d been suicidal. And Magnus had been here 2 months. 

Suddenly, the air was filled with a cruel, evil laugh, and Magnus whimpered. Alec flinched at the sound. What had this place done to him? What had the owner of that laugh done to him? In front of him stood the man that could be no other than Magnus’s father. They had the same beautiful yellow eyes, but while Magnus’s were kind and warm, Asmodeus’s were empty and villainous. Alec put himself in front of Magnus, daring the human looking demon in front of him to hurt Magnus ever again. 

He was tall, with gaunt features; his skin looked like it was pulled tight over his cheek and jawbone. He was impeccably dressed, and in the back of his mind, Alec wondered if that was something Magnus had inherited from him.

“Well, well, the Shadowhunter actually did come to rescue the Warlock. I must admit I’m shocked,” his voice was smooth and almost charming had it had any feeling behind it. 

“Of course I came for him,” Alec snarled. Asmodeus chuckled at Alec’s bold manner in the face of a Prince of Hell. 

“So, tell me Shadowhunter, why would you risk life and limb to rescue my son, a Warlock,” he asked, circling the couple. Alec turned with him, refusing to let Asmodeus near Magnus without his body as a barrier. 

“Because I love him,” Alec responded. It was so simple that it honestly seemed to baffle the Prince for a moment. 

“You love him?” 

There was no mockery in his voice, no threat, just curiosity. Alec narrowed his eyes slightly,

“Why should that come as a surprise? Magnus is the easiest person in the world to love,” Alec stated. Magnus looked away from his father for the first time to look at his partner. “He is kind, caring, patient, forgiving, funny, intelligent, brave, strong, loving,” Alec listed. “It is truly easier loving this man than breathing air,” he finished. Father and son stared at him, Magnus’s mouth hanging open slightly. 

Asmodeus reached forward and grabbed Alec’s forearm. Alec and Magnus both tensed but neither of them moved. 

“So tell me, Lightwood,” Magnus flinched at Asmodeus knowing Alec’s name, “what are you willing to sacrifice for him?” 

Magnus held his breath for a moment, but then the smell of burning flesh assaulted his nose and his eyes flew to where Asmodeus was holding Alec. Magic sparked in Magnus’s hand but a look from Asmodeus and it faded. He was no real match for his father, not in that moment. There was smoke rising, and Alec’s skin was bubbling, but his face was set. He made no motion of being in pain. But then the redness and blistering spread and began to turn black, and he cried out with a contortion of pain, but didn’t pull away. 

“Take my arm, take any limb, take my life,” Alec stated, “but let him go.” 

“No!” 

Magnus tried to move his father, but he would not be budged. The burn moved down Alec’s forearm to his finger and Alec moaned in pain, the only thing holding him up was the demon’s hand. That was his bow hand, the one that he occasionally didn’t heal when he wanted to punish himself, but that pain was child’s play compared to this. 

“Please, please, let him go. I’ll do anything, give you anything,” Magnus pleaded. 

But Asmodeus was still staring at Alec who was panting, his teeth grit even as he yelled out at nearly three quarters of his arm being charred like pork. His arm didn’t look like an arm anymore; it looked like a log that had been in a fire, parts of it still glowing with burn, most of it didn’t hurt anymore, the nerves destroyed completely, but then Asmodeus left part of it only mildly burnt, something Alec suspected was done solely to cause him pain.

“Give me your soul,” Asmodeus said and released Alec. Alec collapsed, but Magnus caught him just before he hit the ground. 

“I’ll heal it. I’ll heal it,” Magnus whispered in his ear and Alec whimpered and choked on the pain. “You can have my soul, just leave him alone,” Magnus growled.

“I don’t want your soul…” Asmodeus retorted before looking at the Shadowhunter struggling to breath in his lover’s arms. “Give me your soul when it is your time, Shadowhunter, and I will let you two go, right now. But you must promise that when you die, your soul is mine for eternity,” Asmodeus offered.

“Absolutely not!” Magnus roared, but Alec looked up at the taller man.

“You’ll leave us alone until then, and you will never, ever bother Magnus again,” Alec questioned, gathering himself through this agony of his arm. 

Asmodeus smirked and shrugged.

“Alexander, no,” Magnus cried, pushing weakly on Alec’s chest. He couldn’t let his partner do this; he had no clue what he was getting himself into. Alec was a child of Raziel; his soul belonged to Him, with his family, his lineage, with other Shadowhunters. Not in this hell where Magnus’s darkened soul deserved to spend forever. 

Alexander looked at Magnus and smiled weakly, “It’s okay, Babe. It’s going to be okay,” he kissed Magnus’s lips lightly.

“This is what you get for falling for a mortal, Magnus,” Asmodeus said superiorly. 

Alec wondered if this is what Magnus felt like every time a Shadowhunter sneered at their relationship because Magnus was a Downworlder. No, that probably felt much worse. 

“I’ll give you my immo—” Magnus began but then Alec’s uninjured hand shot out.

“My soul and you never show your face again, forever,” Alec set the terms. 

Asmodeus hummed as he looked at the outstretched hand. Magnus sobbed softly, trying to force Alec’s hand down, but he was too weak, too tired, too starved, too… a lot of things. 

“Deal,” he took Alec’s hand and suddenly they were in the loft. Magnus let out a wet sob as Alec let out a yelp, holding his arm to his chest.

“Why would you do that,” Magnus whined as he attempted to start healing Alec. Healing skin like this was like healing dragon hide. There was so much damage that it took Magnus’s magic a minute to realize what it was supposed to be fixing.

“We should call Cat,” Alec winced as Magnus panted in exhaustion. 

“No need; I’m here,” Catarina entered the room.

She’d barely left the apartment since Magnus was taken. She approached them cautiously, moving Magnus’s hands gently aside, her heart breaking at the sight of her best friend in so much pain. Still, as she looked at his Shadowhunter using his good arm to hold him tightly, she couldn’t help but be grateful to him. If you’d asked her six months ago what she thought of Magnus’s boyfriend, she would have clenched her jaw and said, ‘I’m sure he’s just like all the others. Magnus likes them beautiful, but beautiful often means self-serving, and this is a Shadowhunter. I’m sure he’s even worse than all the rest.’ But over the past two months especially, she’d seen how Alec was anything but self-serving. For two months Alec had run himself into the ground, thinking only of saving Magnus, even when they all thought Magnus was dead, Alec refused to give up, claiming that without a body, he’d always believe Magnus was alive. 

The healing was a slow process, even with Catarina’s magic. Magnus slumped heavily onto Alec who held him with his good arm and kissed anywhere he saw hadn’t been kissed yet. Normally they probably wouldn’t have been so affectionate in front of her, but right now, neither man could find it in himself to care. And Catrina didn’t mind. If anything, she enjoyed seeing Magnus so loved and cared for. Even now, she noticed, Alec had literally had his arm baked and all he was focused on was the Warlock in his arms. 

“Stupid Nephilim,” Catarina murmured when the wound was fully healed. Alec smiled softly at her.

“Thank you,” he muttered and wrapped his now good arm around Magnus, squeezing him tightly. 

“Thank you,” she breathed. Alec nodded, swallowing hard as Magnus trembled in his arms. “Magnus, do you have any injuries that I can heal,” Cat asked Magnus, her hands hovering carefully over his back. He shook his head, gripping Alec’s shirt tighter. Cat wasn’t sure she believed him but had no choice and nodded. “I-I’m going to go, but, please, please call me if you need anything,” she pleaded. 

Alec nodded, “I promise,” he said.

In the past two months Catarina had developed a new respect and trust for the young man. She exited quietly, leaving her two friends to begin the healing process. 

“Why would you offer him your soul, Alexander,” Magnus sighed when he heard the door close. He didn’t think anyone else needed to know right now, maybe ever.

“Two reasons,” Alec admitted. “One: I would do anything for you,” he claimed, shifting their bodies so he could look into Magnus’s eyes, “Anything.” He kissed his lips lightly before pulling away, but kept their faces pressed together, the absence of each other having cut them both raw.

“And two?” Magnus said, emotion hiccupping in his throat.

“Two: We’re trying to find a way to make me immortal, Mag. Could be a deal I never have to follow through on,” Alec said, breathing in Magnus’s scent. Under the smoke, sweat, blood and pain, was still Magnus, still that smell that made Alec feel safe.

“And if we fail? If you die and your soul goes to him?” Magnus asked, his breathing ragged and he clutched Alec’s shirt as if it were holding him up. Alec wrapped his arms, both now healed, around Magnus’s waist.

“Then at least I have you now, because immortality, my soul, all that means nothing if you are not here.” Magnus barely heard it over the sound of his own rasped breathing, but Magnus heard it, Magnus felt it, and he sobbed harder still.

It took both of them several hours to realize they were truly back together. It also didn’t take long for Magnus to realize that Alec had nearly killed himself looking for him. There were new scars all over his body from battles Magnus knew his disappearance had brought. He seemed as touch-starved as he had been when they first met, though, honestly, so was Magnus. Both leaning into any feeling of the other one’s skin, both kissing and touching as much as they could, but it wasn’t sexual, not right now, not yet. They were both too tired, both too broken for that just yet.

They were in the bathtub, trying to wash off the past two months, when Magnus leaned forward to grab the soap and they both mewled quietly at being separated even the slightest bit, and then both chuckled sadly at their reaction. Magnus turned and sat on Alec’s thighs facing him, their lips meeting before they used their lips and fingertips to trace each other’s faces and necks. Not getting hot and heavy, just soothing, just trying to rememorize each other. That was when Magnus found it; he had been using his hands to map out Alec’s body when they hit his upper hip and he traced the rune there mindlessly until his mind caught up on what this rune was. The only rune whose burn he himself had felt. Alec knew the moment he figured it out because Magnus froze, his fingers no longer tracing and his lips no longer moving.

“No,” Alec whispered, “don’t worry about it. It was a bad moment, but it’s okay,” he rushed, trying to distract Magnus with another kiss, but Magnus pulled away just enough to look at it. He looked up at Alec’s eyes that weren’t meeting his own.

“Wh—” Magnus began but Alec shook his head.

“He sent a fire message that you were dead. Eighteen days after you were taken. He said you’d died.” 

Alec said those words as if he’d said them a thousand times in order to make them real. 

“I didn’t think you were. Izzy thought I was crazy and should grieve and move on, but I couldn’t because I could feel it. I would have felt if you died. But it was still a bad time, and I just needed something, and this was the easiest to hide,” he admitted ashamed. 

Magnus surged forward, kissing him so hard it hurt, as if proving he was alive, that Alec had been right. Magnus said nothing else about it and they cleaned each other off, once again placing kisses and gentle touches to freshly washed skin. 

They leaned on each other as they walked to their bed. Alec knew he had to tell Izzy, Jace, Clary, and Raphael that Magnus was back, but, honestly, tonight was not the time to do it. 

“Are you still activating it,” Magnus asked as they lay facing each other. 

Alec shook his head, “I stopped a week ago, I swear, when I found the spell to get to Edom.” 

Magnus once again let it go. This shouldn’t be a night of fixing how fucked up they both were, but about reminding themselves they were finally together. Magnus attempted to snuggle impossibly closer to Alec, not a single part of them separated. 

They didn’t know who fell asleep first, only that they clung to each other as tightly as they could.

It was a few hours later that Magnus woke up, his eyes flying open. He’d fallen asleep! How could he be so stupid, they—Alexander. He was lying next to Alec, in their loft, in their bed, because Alec had entered a kingdom of hell to save him. He sunk into Alec’s arms. They were strong, warm, unburned, and holding him as close as they could. He was safe. It was a weird sensation. Not being terrified of what would they would throw at him next, not being unable to breathe because he was alone, not in pain and not fearing that he would never see Alec again. 

He wanted to see the stars. He slipped quietly out of Alec’s arms, who moaned quietly but accepted the pillow that smelled like Magnus as a replacement. Magnus smiled softly. This man, this beautiful, brave, strong man had charged into Edom and refused to leave without him, had been burned to save him, sold his soul to save him. He kissed Alec’s cheek, that soft cheek no longer wet with tears. 

He stepped out onto the balcony and breathed deeply. Clean, cold air hit his lungs and he deflated in relief. He wanted to count every star, give it a name if it didn’t already have one. He was home. He was truly home. 

Alec groaned softly, something waking him up. He pulled Magnus closer. No. No no no no no no no. Please no! The pillow in his arms still smelled like Magnus. For two months it was all that had gotten him through. Please no! It couldn’t have all been a dream. He couldn’t have just dreamed that AGAIN!! Tears began streaming down his cheeks and his lungs refused to inhale deep breaths. His heart breaking all over again and hurting so much he just wanted to die, to just let this panic attack end his suffering. 

“Magnus,” he wheezed

What a good last word. He was on all fours, wanting so desperately to have never woken up. His breaths were getting shorter, less satisfactory. His vision was blackening around him; his body felt like it was shutting down. He couldn’t bear any more heartbreak. His soul couldn’t take its mate being gone any longer. He clawed at his chest, trying to get that broken, destroyed beating thing out. He was going to die; he was going to fail to save Magnus. With oxygen depleting from his brain the only thing he could hear was Magnus’s voice. As clear as if it were right in front of him.

“-Xander breathe, my love, please I need you to breathe for me. Alec, please,” Alec covered his ears, he couldn’t bear it, couldn’t stand to hear that voice again telling him to breathe, begging that he survive. 

“Mag,” he puffed out. Please don’t do this to me. He begged in his head. Suddenly there were hands on his face.

“Angel, please, breathe for me.” 

Alec forced his eyes open, focusing long enough to see who was touching him. It was probably Cat; she liked staying at the loft with him now. 

But, those eyes. He knew those beautiful eyes. No one could duplicate them, not even his head. He heaved as his body tried to save him. 

“Come on. Four seconds. Just inhale for four seconds.”

Magnus? Alec’s brain provided the question. He obeyed, even if he wasn’t sure if it was real. He breathed in a broken, shaky breath for four seconds. 

“Now don’t let it go until I tell you, seven seconds,” the voice ordered. Alec cried as his lungs burned, but he did it. He could do it for imaginary Magnus. 

It felt like forever but then the voice said, “Now let it out very slowly until I say eight, Alexander.” 

Alec tried to claw at his arms, anything to stop the buzzing under his skin, but there were hands grasping his almost painfully tight. 

“Let’s do that again. In for four seconds.” 

Alec did as he was told because his head was cleared slightly and those eyes were back. He blinked rapidly as he breathed the way he was being told. Slowly his vision fully returned and even though his lungs still ached and his brain was still confused he could see the face in front of him. 

“M-Mag-n-nus,” he stuttered as his breathing slowly returned to normal as he continued to do the 4-7-8 exercise. 

“I’m sorry, Alexander. I wasn’t thinking,” Magnus admitted as Alec’s hands quit clawing at his own arms and instead moved to gripping Magnus as tightly as he could. “I’m right here, Darling, I’m so sorry,” he whispered into the dark hair as Alec panted in his arms. Once his breathing was fully under control Magnus gently pulled away to look at him. He was pale and looking at Magnus like he was still a dream.

“I’m sor-sorry, that was—” Alec began but then he shook his head, “I’ve just dreamed about you coming home so often that when I thought this was all a dream again I—.” 

Magnus shook his head. “It’s okay. I should have thought about that before I went outside,” Magnus claimed. 

“No,” Alec retorted. “You’re back; you should be doing whatever you need to do to heal yourself. If that means going outside, you shouldn’t have to worry about me, I—” 

Magnus interrupted Alec with a kiss.

“I was the one in Edom, but you were the one who had to figure out how to save me. You were the one who had to hope against hope, hope against reason, even after being told I was dead. You were the one who had to believe Alec, the one who had to fight. Please don’t ever feel like what you went through wasn’t just as traumatic as what I went through.” 

He kissed Alec again, and this time, the Shadowhunter moved his lips with him, his fingers tightening once again around Magnus’s muscles. 

“How about-” Alec’s throat closed for a moment. “How about we heal each other together,” he asked, almost shyly. Magnus’s heart ached; Alec was feeling shy about needing to heal, about needing Magnus to help him heal.

“So you can’t wake up alone,” Magnus stated. 

Alec nodded slowly, “If you need fresh air, or to be outside, wake me up. Don’t ever be afraid to wake me up. Even if you don’t want me with you, please just…let me know where you’re going,” Alec pleaded. 

“I promise,” Magnus said, brushing the tears off Alec’s face. 

“And don’t suffer alone,” Alec said. “You’ve done that for two months; please, let me know if you ever need anything. Whether it’s me, not me, whatever it is, I’ll make it happen, but please just don’t try to pretend like you’re okay, because we both know neither of us are okay, and we probably won’t be for a long time. There is no need to hide it, not from each other,” Magnus watched as his partner begged him to heal with him, rather than without him. “There might not be anything I can do for you in certain moments, but if all I can do is hold you and cover you in kisses, then that’s what I’ll do,” Alec offered. Magnus smiled sadly and nodded, inhaling shakily. “Okay, now, do you need to go back outside,” The Shadowhunter asked, unsure if his panic attack had brought Magnus inside or not. Magnus could see Alec was exhausted, but yes, he did need to go outside, and he wanted Alec to come with him.

“Yes,” he admitted. 

“Okay, you want me to come with you,” Alec asked, there was a look in Alec’s eyes that he was trying very hard to hide. Magnus could see he was desperate to go with him, but Magnus knew if he said no, Alec would stay in their bed. 

“Yes, please,” Magnus breathed in relief that despite what there were going through, they could go through it together. 

Alec threw on sweatpants, a pair of socks, a sweatshirt, and grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around himself and Magnus as they walked back onto the balcony. They sat down on the love seat, and Alec laid his head on Magnus’s shoulder as Magnus looked up at the stars. They sat in silence for countless minutes before Alec spoke again.

“I had another panic attack a week after we received the fire message that you were dead.” He said softly, almost as if giving permission for Magnus to ignore him. Instead Magnus shifted so that Alec knew he would never ignore him. “I mean, I’d had several but this one…I was at work, and Izzy, in her good intentions, told me she would come here and clean up everything I’d been working on trying to get to Edom. She thought I needed to accept that you were gone. I freaked out on her, which threw me into another panic attack because, what if she was right?” 

Magnus kissed his temple, running his fingers through his hair, thanking Raziel that Alec had not believed he was dead, that he hadn’t given up. 

“Jace had to activate the agony rune to get me out of it,” Alec claimed. 

Magnus once again froze. “Jace knew?!” Magnus asked, horrified that Jace had known Alec was hurting himself and had done nothing about it.

“Mmhmm, he could feel it,” Alec said, then let out a morbid chuckle. “But he said he preferred when I activated it to when I didn’t because at least when the agony rune was happening he could focus on that instead of just the total body misery that he normally felt. Which you know, was the point, one physical pain that could outweigh the broken heart.” 

Magnus didn’t mean to let the sob escape, didn’t mean to draw attention back to himself, but Alec felt it and immediately pulled away looking at Magnus who had tears pouring down his cheeks. Alec wiped the tears away and kissed him gently.

“My heart isn’t broken anymore,” he whispered. “Just my brain,” Magnus couldn’t help but let out a laugh that Alec joined in on. 

Me too,” Magnus said as he laughed harder. They held each other as they laughed at what was happening to them. “But broken brains are much easier to fix than broken hearts.” 

“Even if they’re fixed with lies and scotch tape,” Alec joked. 

Magnus chuckled and nodded, “I’ve also got some superglue. Whatever it takes, huh?” 

“I haven’t stopped thanking the Angel since we got home,” Alec whispered. “Because I need you, Beautiful, every day for the rest of my life, no matter how long or short that is.” 

Magnus swallowed hard. Alec has always said the most wonderful things, things no one else had ever considered saying to him. ‘I can’t live without you’; ‘I’ve never felt that type of fear’; ‘I only care about how you feel’. All of these things Alec said because they were true, not because he was trying to convince Magnus of something. 

“You are my weakness, Alexander. That’s why they used you against me, why they took your form, because you are my greatest weakness,” Magnus admitted into Alec’s skin. 

Alec nodded, “I know. You’re mine, too,” he turned and brushed his lips gently against Magnus’s wet cheek. “Does two weaknesses make a strength,” he asked. 

“Mmm, I certainly think so. You walked into Edom for me, stood up to a Prince of Hell for me, and left with me. I don’t think anyone should underestimate what we’re willing and able to do for each other,” Magnus claimed. 

“I think you’re right. Maybe apart we’re each other’s weakest points, but together…We’re unstoppable,” Alec decided. 

Magnus smiled and held him tighter. “I hope you’re right, Darling.”


End file.
